Start with responsibilities, not a monthly headline
A maintenance proposal should identify the website, the tasks, the person responsible and the response window. “Updates included” leaves several questions open: will somebody check a staging copy, test the checkout afterwards and restore the previous version if an update breaks it? Paying for a backup service does not by itself assign responsibility for recovery.
A small brochure site and a store taking orders every day need different support. Write down what must keep working and how long the business can reasonably wait for help. A guaranteed response time is different from a guaranteed repair time; ask the supplier to define both where relevant.
Build an annual budget you can audit
Use this worksheet with actual renewal prices and a written scope. The numbers below are invented planning inputs in USD, not a market average or a Neaptide offer. Taxes and unexpected repairs are excluded.
| Item | Assumption | Annual cost |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | $25 per month | $300 |
| Domain renewal | $24 per year | $24 |
| Software renewals | $180 per year | $180 |
| Routine care | 2 hours per month at $75 | $1,800 |
| Content changes | 1 hour per month at $60 | $720 |
| Total | Sum of the five lines | $3,024 |
That is $252 per month when spread across a year. Your invoices may arrive annually, so keep a separate payment calendar. Do not add hosting twice if a care package already includes it. Keep an unpriced incident line visible until you have agreed an hourly rate, spending limit or included allowance.
Compare what each care plan actually delivers
Ask each provider to fill the same short list. A lower price can be entirely reasonable if you intend to do more work internally.
- Which updates, backups and functional checks are included, and how often?
- How many editing hours are included, and do unused hours expire?
- Who receives alerts and handles a failed form or checkout?
- What happens outside normal support hours?
- Which subscriptions belong to the business, and what happens when the plan ends?
For a hosted website builder, verify what the platform manages and what remains your responsibility. For a self-managed CMS, record responsibility for the application, extensions and hosting separately. Product documentation and your contract are more useful here than a broad industry price range.
Turn the worksheet into a decision
Choose the plan that covers your critical workflows and fits your team's capacity. If you rarely change content, request occasional editing separately. If sales depend on the website, ask for a recovery procedure and evidence that it has been tested on your setup.
Add the agreed recurring amounts to the first-year cost planner. Keep the original build estimate separate: SiteCost models development scope and does not automatically include this maintenance budget.